


Our Conflicts of Interest

by TheNightSkyObserver



Category: Hermitcraft RPF, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Body Horror, Body mutilation, DO NOT SHIP REAL PEOPLE, Fluff, Gay Panic, Graphic Violence, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I will say again VERY HEAVY GORE, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mindmeld elements, Mutual Pining, Pining, Present tense for once, Temporary Character Death, Torture, eye gore, like my god, minecraft personas ONLY
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:35:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22626442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNightSkyObserver/pseuds/TheNightSkyObserver
Summary: Grian has a lot of love to give. When an adventure goes horribly, horribly wrong, he learns he isn't the only one.*Minecraft Personas Only - Do NOT ship real People*
Relationships: Grian/Docm77, Grian/Iskall85, Grian/Mumbo Jumbo, Grian/Mumbo Jumbo/Iskall85, Grian/Mumbo Jumbo/Iskall85/Docm77, Grian/Mumbo Jumbo/Iskall85/Docm77/Xisumavoid, Grian/Xisumavoid, Iskall85/Docm77, Iskall85/Xisumavoid, Mumbo Jumbo/Docm77, Mumbo Jumbo/Iskall85, Mumbo Jumbo/Xisumavoid, Polytechs
Comments: 49
Kudos: 382





	Our Conflicts of Interest

**Author's Note:**

> STOP AND READ THIS  
> When you read the line  
> "Mumbo is the first to start"  
> I need you to go and listen to this video:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2l9ZRSooedE&start=3938  
> Make sure it's at 1:05:38 when you start.  
> You're Welcome. Enjoy.  
> (I don't own the characters. Obviously)

It’s been a few weeks since Iskall and Mumbo had finally figured out how to un-jumble themselves, and Grian sighs in happiness as he thinks about his boyfriends. He’s glad that they’re both back to normal, of course, but he can’t help but _slightly_ miss how easy it had been to drive the two into blushing messes while they shared physical sensations. Grian smirks to himself, _he’ll just have to be a little more **creative** now, that’s all_.

Grian continues to build, and he muses over ways he could playfully torture his boyfriends, his actions coming to a screeching halt as one fleeting thought bounces through his mind.

_‘I need an extra set of hands’._

Grian pulls in a shuddering breath, this thought immediately conjuring up images of robotics and creeper skin, tattered lab coats, and that _damn_ smirk. Grian frowns to himself, wishing his mind didn’t immediately go to _Doc_. He’s exceedingly happy with Mumbo and Iskall. Honestly, he had been over the moon when he and Mumbo had both expressed interest in Iskall, and Iskall had actually said yes to joining them. He still doesn’t understand how he had gone from having no one to having two, _two!_ amazing boyfriends.

Grian shakes his head to dispel the thoughts, and focuses back on building, feeling the sense of calm that building brings him wash over him.

***

Grian decides that he needs a break after a while, and plops himself down on the grass, content to just gaze at his build, and let the ideas wash over him. He quickly, however, notices a shadow. He looks up and his breath catches in his throat.

Doc is walking towards him, and Grian’s mind erupts.

The rising sun brings out the light red streaks in Doc’s dark brown hair, and his thick locks are waving hypnotically in the breeze. Grian is well aware that he is staring, but just can’t bring himself to care at the moment. Doc sends him a smirk as he plops down beside the builder.

“Hiya Grian,” Doc’s voice, deeper than usual, drips with knowing smugness. Grian feels his checks burn with a blush, and he coughs, trying to hide it.

“Heh. Hi Doc. What can I do for you on this fine day?” Doc just shrugs in response.

“Oh nothing, just wanted to come say hello to my favorite builder,” Doc’s smug grin is replaced by a slightly softer one and Grian feels his traitorous heart melt. Grian grins back at him.

***

They had been sitting comfortably, talking and joking for a while, when Doc notices Mumbo and Iskall walking towards them. Grian eyes light up at the sight of his boyfriends, and he quickly stands up and races over to receive hugs. Doc just can’t find it within himself to feel bad for the annoyed expression that probably passes over his face. Doc watches as Iskall kisses Grian on the cheek, and quickly stands up to his full height and crosses his arms as the redstoner strides over to him.

“Doc. Good to see you.”

“Iskall”, Doc nods at the man, his eyes cold and hard. Iskall frowns, but walks back to Mumbo and Grian, just as Mumbo finishes explaining why they had come over in the first place.

“So yeah! What’d you say, love? Up for a bit of swimming today?” Mumbo asks. Grian giggles.

“Sure! After we take care of the temple, I can collect more gravel and sand for Sahara too!” Grian turns and grins at Doc, who perks up immediately.

“Say Doc, would you like to come with us to conquer an Ocean Temple? We could always use another fighter!” Mumbo and Iskall share a look between themselves before turning back to Grian, who was staring at Doc with pleading eyes.

Doc sends Mumbo and Iskall a slight smirk before softening his expression and smiling at Grian.

“Sure Grian, I can come help. So long as it’s okay with your _boyfriends_ that is,” Doc responds, barely concealing the sneer in his voice as he mentions Mumbo and Iskall. Grian doesn’t seem notice the slight contempt in Doc’s voice, but turns to Mumbo and Iskall with a hopeful expression. Iskall sighs, before nodding.

“Yes, that’s fine, I’m sure the back-up will be helpful.” Grian’s face lights up in a blinding smile, and he rushes forward and pulls his boyfriends into a hug.

“Yay! This is gonna be so much fun! Let me go get my good armor, and we can go!” Grian speeds off towards his ‘storage’ area, leaving Mumbo, Iskall and Doc to stare after him with matching love-struck expressions. Within moments, Grian flies back down to the men, sending them each a blinding grin.

“I’m so happy I get to spend the day with my 3 favorite people!! Let’s go!” Grian lights a rocket and flies through the entrance of his base, leaving the other 3 men scrambling to take off after him.

***

The Hermits have been in the air for about 5 or so minutes before the bicker begins.

“Did you hear what he said? I’m one of his _favorite_ people.” Doc glances smugly at the two redstoners flying beside him. Mumbo rolls his eyes.

“Yeah, Doc, you’re his friend. We, however,” Mumbo gestures to himself and Iskall, “are, you know, _dating_ him, so… I don’t think there’s much a comparison to be made.”

“Honestly Doc, what’s your problem?” Iskall asks, his voiced laced with thinly veiled anger.

“What? Maybe he just likes me more than you two now. I am taller than either of you, and stronger too,” Doc shoots back.

“Excuse me?? What does that have to do with anything? Don’t you think, that if he had _wanted_ to date you, _he would be?_ Except, news flash! He’s dating _us_.” Mumbo exclaims, not even trying to disguise the rage in his voice.

“That’s going too far Doc. I do not know what your problem is right now, but you need to back off,” Iskall’s voice is hard, and leaves no room for arguments.

“Not my fault if you two are too delusional to see the fact that Grian has a thing for me,” Doc manages to shrug while flying, extremely unapologetic.

Mumbo’s furious response is cut off by the panicked and terrified cry from in front of them. The three men’s heads all shoot forward, just in time to see Grian plummet towards the ground, his broken elytra useless on his back.

“Grian!” The three men shout in unison, rocketing towards the builder. Time seems to slow down for Mumbo, watching uselessly as his smallest boyfriend falls through the air. Mumbo pushes his elytra as hard as he can to catch up, his hands reaching out, desperately trying to grab hold of Grian before he hits the ground.

Just as Mumbo feels his fingers brush against Grian’s, eyes locking on Grian’s anguish and terror filled face, he feels an arrow rip through his shoulder, forcing him away from Grian’s falling form.

Iskall doesn’t know what to do, both of his boyfriends are falling, and he is too far away to do _anything_. He isn’t able to even think of what to do however, as it was in this moment that Grian’s body makes contact with the ground.

***

Grian thought for sure that the moment he hit the ground he would die, and that would be the end of it. He feels the ground rip open his back as he skids across it, before he comes to a quick and painful stop as he crashes into…oh no. _A Pillager Tower_. Grian tries to push himself onto his feet, but collapses with a cry as his back screams out in pain. He can feel his strength slowly dissolving. He looks up into the sky, but he can’t see his boyfriends or Doc. He can, however, hear the Pillagers milling about above him, and he can only hope they don’t come down and find him, if they don’t already know he’s here.

‘ _What am I gonna do?’_ Grian feels the panic start to swell up within him. He can’t stand, his elytra is broken, _he can’t see his boyfriends anywhere, where **are** they??_ Grian feels himself begin to hyperventilate, but his breath complete cuts off as he is roughly pulled inside the tower.

Grian cries out in pain as the Pillager drags him across the tower’s floor, staring up at it with fear in his eyes. The Pillager pulls open a trap door and Grian’s fear skyrockets.

“No, no no no! No Stop! What do you want from me? NO! **_STOP!!_** ”

* * *

Doc paces back and forth as Iskall tends to Mumbo’s bloody shoulder, his anger rising as the minutes tick by.

“It’s okay Mumbo, almost done there, you’re okay,” Iskall murmurs to his wincing boyfriend. Mumbo just looks up at Iskall with grief filled eyes.

“I almost had ‘im Iskall. I felt his fingers. _Those **damn** Pillagers_! God, this is my fault, _I almost had him!_ ” Mumbo shoves his face into Iskall’s chest and lets out a shuddering sob. Iskall merely rests his head against Mumbo’s.

“It will be okay, Mumbo, it will. We will get him back,” Iskall whispers.

“Ya know, if we _stopped sitting around_ , we probably could have gotten to him already,” Doc looks over at the two redstoners with a disgusted sneer. Iskall is still processing Doc’s words as Mumbo shoots to his feet and gets up in Doc’s face.

“How _dare_ you? **_HOW DARE YOU_**. We wouldn’t BE in this mess, if you could just pull your disgustingly big head out of your _fucking arse_ for five minutes! I don’t _care_ if you think that Grian has feelings for you. That does NOT give you the right to act like you have a claim to him. If Grian wanted to be with you, _he would be._ And he’s NOT. And now? HE’S GONE. Because of YOUR inability to back off. **_Fuck You_** ,” Mumbo spits, his eyes dripping fire.

Doc takes a step back, his eyes finally flickering with a hint of remorse, before they harden and he schools his expression.

“Whatever Mumbo. Are we gonna go find Grian, or not?” Doc turns away from the still fuming redstoner, discreetly pulling his tattered lad coat further around him, in what he knows is a futile attempt to dispel the cold that is wrapping around his heart.

***

The three men walk in silence as they slowly make their way towards where they assumed the Pillager Tower was. They didn’t want to risk getting shot down by the archers again, so they resign themselves to slowly marching through the weeds.

Iskall and Mumbo walk side by side in the front, with Doc trudging behind them, his eyes downcast, his thoughts swirling.

_They are right. He is probably reading much too far into Grian’s kindness. Why would someone like Grian like him anyway? What does he have to offer? Not much, if anything. All he does is scare the other Hermits and be mean. It’s not that he wants to be mean, his voice is just so dry and dead-pan no matter what. He doesn’t have a bubbly or overly positive personality like all the other Hermits. He’s always been the odd one out, why should this be any different?_

Doc is startled out of his thoughts as an arrow whizzes past his face, and he looks up, only to see the Pillager Tower ahead of him, and Iskall and Mumbo crouching down in the grass, glaring at him.

“Get _down_ Doc!” Iskall hisses out. Doc drops to his knees without a word.

“Okay, there looks like there are about seven Pillagers overall, four on the lower level, three on the upper. Doc, you rush up and take care of the upper level, Mumbo and I will cover you and deal with the lower level. Yes? Good?” Iskall whispers, motioning towards the tower. Doc flicks his eyes to Mumbo, who still looks furious, then looks back over to Iskall, whose eyes are cold and hard. He nods once, then casts his eyes back to the ground.  
“Good. Now, on my count, we all rush them, yes? Ready?” Iskall looks pointedly at Doc, who clenches his jaw and nods.  
“Alright. Three, Two, **One**!” The three men burst out of the grass, swords held confidently in front of them.

Doc bolts to the front, ducking beneath one Pillager’s crossbow, before running up the stairs two at a time. He ducks into a somersault as he vaults himself off the top of the stairs, springing to his feet in the middle of the three very confused and angry Pillagers. Doc lets his fighting instincts take over as he parries arrows out of the air and strikes down the Pillager directly in front of him. _This, now **this** , he knows how to do. Fighting. The only thing he’s good at. _His blade cuts through the gray-tinged flesh of the mob with ease, and Doc can’t help but grin in sick delight as the Pillager sinks to the ground, its oily blood gushing out of the hole in its chest onto the floor.

Spinning around, Doc catches the second Pillager right in the side, and he rips his sword out of its ribs so hard that Doc hears with perfect clarity the snapping of bones. Doc’s sadistic grin grows wider as the second Pillager drops to the ground, the wooden planks practically sodden with blood already. With an animalistic growl, Doc turns to face the final Pillager, who looks a mixture of pissed off and terrified. Out of the corner of his eye, Doc sees Mumbo and Iskall coming up the stairs. With a smirk, Doc springs forward and runs his sword directly into the Pillager’s torso, relishing in the slick slide of his blade through the mob’s flesh. The Pillager’s body goes slack and Doc greatly enjoys kicking the body to the ground, pulling his sword out with a grin, and turns to face the two redstoners.

***

Mumbo and Iskall stare at Doc with slackened jaws as Doc wrenches his bloody sword from the mob’s body. Doc turns and faces the two redstoners. Mumbo feels a traitorous tinge of attraction pulse through him at the dark gleam in Doc’s eye. Mumbo gulps, and tries in vain to school his expression. Knowing he was probably unsuccessful, Mumbo averts his eyes to glance at Iskall, who is sporting a similar expression of vague, confused attraction. Iskall quickly glances back at Mumbo. Mumbo can feel Iskall’s vague thought process at the edge of his mind.

_‘Doc attractive? Doc join us? Doc okay?’_

Mumbo nods once at Iskall, and clears his throat.

“Nice work, Doc. We cleared out down here. We found something interesting. Come on.” Mumbo gestures down the stairs, and as he walks back down, he subtly adjusts his tie, trying to let some of the heat out from his neck.

***

Doc follows Mumbo and Iskall back down the stairs in a daze.

_‘Why are they blushing? Do they think my fighting was attractive? Why does that make me happy?? Oh no, do I like **them** too?’_

Doc cuts his increasingly gay and panicked thoughts off as the ‘interesting something’ that Mumbo and Iskall have found enters his field of vision.

“Is that a trapdoor?” Doc asks, a frown sliding onto his face. Iskall’s face regains its steeled expression as he nods. Doc clenches his jaw.

“Lovely. We’re assuming Grian is down there then?”

“Yes. They would not have had enough time to take him far, and I doubt they would have still been here if they had taken him elsewhere. This is our best bet,” Iskall responds. Doc breathes deeply and lets the air rattle out.

“Alright. Let’s go get him.”

***

The three men descend the short ladder into a dimly lit cavern. Iskall pulls out a torch and ignites it, casting the warm glow over the cold and damp cave. There was only one path, so with a nod to Doc and Mumbo, Iskall pulls out his sword and marches forward into the darkness.

The cavern quickly narrows, so Iskall takes the lead, with Mumbo in the middle, and Doc taking up the rear, ready to defend the redstoners if need be. The first few minutes of their trek are quiet. That’s when the screams start to echo out from deep within the cave. Doc watches as Mumbo and Iskall go rigid. Doc knows what that means. _Grian_. 

* * *

Grian can’t help the scream that rips its way out of his throat as the wooden sword makes another slash through his back. His arms strain against their chains and his feet scramble for purchase on the entrails and blood covered floor. He can feel his blood dripping down, his sodden shirt doing nothing to soak up any more of the blood that was gushing from his wounds.

“What do you want from me? Please just let me go. _Please!_ _I don’t have anything you want! **PLEASE**_ —,” Grian’s exhausted whimper of a plea is cut off by another ragged scream as the Pillager slices through his stomach. He looks up at the Pillager with tears streaming down his face. The Pillager seems pleased that he is crying, the mob’s eyes gleaming with darkness and hate.

Grian’s eyes widen and he tenses his entire body in fear as the Pillager slowly drags the tip of its blade down his cheek. Grian can feel his body shaking in fear, and he clenches his eyes shut, as if that would make this whole situation end faster. A shuddering breath forces itself out of his mouth, the Pillager’s blade still slowly tracing the features of his face. He hears the mob grunt in what sounds like delight. Before Grian can even wonder what is about to happen, his world lights up into pure, white, unadulterated pain. He distantly hears the guttural scream that is echoing around the dark cave.

 _‘Oh. That must be me screaming,”_ He hazily thinks to himself.

The pain dims just enough for Grian to realize that the pain is centered on his eye.

_‘Oh. That’s why I can’t see. He cut open my eye.”_

Before Grian can truly comprehend what is going on, he feels the blade make contact with the back of his head.

And everything goes black.

* * *

* * *

* * *

The raged and terrified screams have the three men sprinting down the narrow path. Doc’s heart feels like it was encased in concrete. He’s _never_ felt this kind of fear before, not for himself, not for anyone. This is a horrid feeling, full of dread and grief and pain he can barely wrap his mind around it. His nauseating fear is quickly shoved to the side as an arrow whizzes past his face.

“Hold!” He yells, skidding to a stop and spinning around. He distantly knows that Mumbo and Iskall have stopped and are holding off the other skeletons that are in front of the group. Doc’s mouth curls up into a sneer and he rushes forward and cuts the skeleton down in one swing, furiously kicking its dry and dusty skull back up the path. He turns back to help Mumbo and Iskall, and his mouth goes dry.

“GET DOWN!” He shouts, running forward to strike down the creeper that the redstoners hadn’t noticed. Said men’s eyes go wide as they both drop to their knees, shielding their necks and heads. Doc manages to slice the creeper into thirds before it explodes, and he grimaces at the amount of powder that now coats the ground and his boots. He gingerly helps the two other men back to their feet, both mumbling out quiet thanks. He can only nod in response. His can feel his body slowly starting to weaken, the fighting and emotional turmoil exhausting him.

They continue down the path, which is blissfully free of more monsters. They haven’t traveled much farther before they realize that the screams have died off.

Mumbo and Iskall share a look, then turn and look at Doc, their faces equal amounts of terrified and grief-stricken. Doc feels the stinging of tears welling up in his eye. He blinks in vain to dispel them.

“We’ll find him. He’ll be okay. He’s Grian. He can handle anything,” Doc recognizes that his voice sounds broken and unsure, but it seems that his words still have the intended effect, as Mumbo and Iskall’s faces relax ever so slightly.

“Now come on, the sooner we get to the end of this path, the sooner we find him, and get him _out of here_ ,” Mumbo and Iskall’s eyes harden, not with hate, but with determination, and they nod.

They continue forward, and as they turn a corner, they all come to a skidding halt at the sight of a door at the end of the cave.

“Oh god, do you think—?” Mumbo murmurs, his voice trembling.

“Yes. Grian must be in there. I am sure that he will be guarded. I think—,” Iskall’s steely response is cut off by the door creaking open. All three men immediately tense and drop into a fighting stance. A Pillager walks out of the door, a blood soaked wooden sword clutched in his hand. The mob’s eyes go wide at the sight of the three men.

Before the Pillager is even able to truly react to the people in front of it, Doc springs forward with a furious snarl. Doc immediately thrusts his sword into the Pillager’s chest; his eyes are bright with anger, his mouth curled into a sinister and dark grin. Another growl rips out of Doc’s throat as he twists his blade up, the Pillager’s eyes bulging out of its head. Doc rips his sword back out, and drives it into the side of the mob’s neck, its oily blood spraying into his face. Doc doesn’t even notice, thoroughly enjoying it as the mob slides to the floor, lifeless and bloody.

Doc turns back to the redstoners, and feels his heart skip a beat at the twin awed expressions on their faces. His grin softens and he averts his eyes to the ground.

“Oh my word. Wow Doc. That was, that was _incredible_!” Mumbo’s says softly. Iskall nods in agreement.

“Yes. That was amazing. However, we’re not done here. We need to stay on target,” Iskall says, his eyes hardening as he slides his gaze off of Doc and onto the door in front of them.

Doc straightens up, steeling his expression, and nods. The three men all give a hard kick to the Pillager’s dead body as they pass it. They all take a deep breath, and Iskall kicks the door open. 

***

Doc, Mumbo, and Iskall edge into the dungeon, their boots squelching as they walk through the suspicious colored muck that covers the floor.

“Grian? Grian where are you?” Mumbo cries out, his voice dripping with fear. All three men’s heads snap up in rapt attention at the weak and ragged groan that echoes from somewhere in front of them.

Iskall holds up their torch, struggling not to let his arm shake. He can’t, however, stop the horrified gasp that he lets out as the torch light bathes the man in front of them.

Grian is chained to the far wall, his body completely limp in the restraints, his head listed completely forward.

Doc is the first one to come to a skidding halt at the builder’s feet. Doc drops to his knees, not even caring that he was kneeling in what he assumes is Grian’s own blood, and slowly raises his real arm to brush aside Grian’s dirty and matted hair. He chokes back a sob as he takes in the broken man in front of him.

Grian’s face is covered in bruises. There is a steady stream of blood trickling out of his mouth. His nose is broken, and Doc feels a bone deep chill run down his spine at the realization that one of Grian’s eyes is missing, with only a bloody hole in its place. Grian’s breathing is slow and shallow.

“Grian. Grian, please, please wake up!” Doc pleads, taking the smaller hermit’s head in his hands. “Please!”

Behind him, Mumbo is clutching onto Iskall, not even trying to slow the tears that are pouring out of his eyes. Iskall can’t speak, he can only hold onto Mumbo harder and bury his face into Mumbo’s hair.

“Is… is he... ya’know…” Mumbo whispers, his voice cracking.

“He’s alive, but barely,” Doc responds, standing, his voice cracking as he tries to stay composed. He lets out a shuddering sigh, and turns around.

“Pull yourselves together, it’s going to take all of us to get him _and us_ out of here alive.”

Doc moves to one side of Grian and starts to fiddle with the restraints, and winces as he eyes the builder’s ripped up and bloody wrists. Mumbo and Iskall share a look that Doc can’t decipher, before they walk over and both tenderly brush a hand across one of Grian’s cheeks. Iskall turns and joins Doc in trying to get Grian out of his restraints.

As Doc and Iskall work on freeing Grian’s hands from the cuffs, Mumbo sinks down to his knees in front of the builder.

“Grian… please wake up love. I’m so sorry. This is all my fault, please, _please_ wake up!” Mumbo’s face is stricken with grief, and he lets out another grief-filled sob at the sight of the horrific slashes in Grian’s torso. The dirt on Mumbo’s cheeks washes away as tears spill out from his eyes. He hears a sigh from behind him, and turns around.

Doc scrubs at the creeper side of his face.

“No Mumbo, it’s not just your fault. It’s my fault too. If we hadn’t been so caught up in our stupid, petty arguments, Grian never would have been taken. We wouldn’t be in this situation at all if it wasn’t for me,” Doc says, his eyes hard and his jaw clenched, “I’m sorry.” He angrily wipes the tears away from his one real eye and goes back to picking the lock on Grian’s wrist.

Iskall eyes Doc as he speaks, getting Grian’s other wrist free just as Doc finished. He wraps Grian’s limp arm around his shoulders to support his unconscious boyfriend.

“Doc, Mumbo, we all made mistakes today. I’m sorry as well. However, what we need to focus on right now, is getting Grian _out of here_. We can discuss all of this, civilly, after we get out of this mess and Grian is awake and okay. Yes?” Iskall shoots a glare at Doc and his other boyfriend, who both nod grimly.

“Hah!” Doc grins in triumph as the he clicks Grian’s cuff and it slides off. Doc goes to support Grian’s arm, but Mumbo rushes to support him before Doc is able. Doc opens his mouth but Mumbo cuts him off.

“Listen Doc, you’re the best fighter here. _You_ need to be in the lead. It’s our best shot of getting out of here. Now, let’s go, _please_.”

Doc clenches his jaw, but nods, pulling out his already blood stained sword, and motions the redstoners to follow him.

***

Doc has his sword held out in front of him as he leads the way back out the dungeon, his body tense and poised in anticipation of more danger. Mumbo and Iskall walk behind him, their grip on Grian strong and protective. They move cautiously through the now silent cavern, their progress slowed considerably due to the fact that Mumbo and Iskall have to not only support Grian’s limp body, but that they also have to move on an extreme angle to fit through the narrow passage.

Doc throws up his hand, a silent signal to stop moving. Mumbo and Iskall freeze behind him, and Doc stalks forward, his lips already curling into a furious and sadistic sneer. The zombie that walks out of a crevice in the cave doesn’t stand a chance, as Doc’s sword rips through it in one swing. Doc wrenches his sword back out, leaving a gaping, ragged hole, in its wake. The zombie drops to the ground, and Doc kicks it away with a growl. Doc has barely pulled his leg back, before Mumbo cries out in fear.

“Doc! Creeper!”

Doc whips around, his eyes wide. He sprints around the two redstoners and thrusts his sword into the offending mob, before pushing the mob back into the hole it had crawled out of.

“ _Get **away** from my boys_!” He snarls.

The distant explosion when the mob hits the bottom of the chasm is heard, but no damage was done to any of the men, thankfully. Doc turns back to Mumbo and Iskall with a tired and soft look. He is met with twin expressions of thanks and thinly veiled affection, which sends his heart aflutter. 

***

Mumbo and Iskall both watch as Doc retakes his place in front of them, and Iskall can feel their thoughts intermingling again, and he softly sighs as the comforting presence of Mumbo’s mind slides into his own.

_‘Doc good. Doc protect us.’_

Iskall instinctively nods at the other redstoner, before he looks down at Grian’s slack face, relieved only by the fact that he can hear the shallow breaths rattling in Grian’s chest.

They manage to get back to the base of the ladder without any more issues or delays; they come to a halt beneath the ladder, all of them realizing the weight of the task that getting Grian up and out of the cavern is going to be.

“Okay… So. I think… If I go up first, I should be able to pull Grian up through if you two push up from underneath him. Does that sound…okay?” Doc asks, his voice laced with exhaustion that he so desperately wants to hide.

Mumbo and Iskall don’t even need to glance at each other before answering in tandem.

“Yes. Let’s get him **_out of here_**.”

Doc nods, and climbs up the ladder, readying his sword for a fight as he shoulders the trapdoor back open. He pops his head and sword arm out of the small hole and carefully looks around. He cautiously climbs the rest of the way out, and does a final sweep of the area.

“The coast is clear, but let’s try to make this fast, I don’t want to risk running into any mobs on the way back,” Doc calls back down to the redstoners.

Doc crouches back down, and lays down on his stomach, leaning his upper body slightly down into the shaft, ready to take hold of Grian. Mumbo releases his grip on the builder and climbs half-way up the ladder in order to more easily pass his unconscious boyfriend to Doc.

Iskall grunts with the effort of lifting Grian on his own, not even to mention the fear he had of jostling the still bleeding man around too much. He manages to shift Grian up into the air enough for Mumbo to get his hands under the builders’ arms. Mumbo’s forehead breaks out into sweat the moment he has a hold of Grian.

“You know,” he grits out, “For such a short man, Grian is bloody heavy!”

Mumbo’s breathing is coming shorter, but he somehow gets Grian up far enough for Doc to wrap his arms around him, probably only thanks to Iskall still lifting up the builder’s feet.

Doc slowly and gingerly rises to his knees, and then his feet, pulling Grian up with him, cradling the man’s listing head in the space between his own neck and shoulder.

Mumbo and Iskall quickly scramble out of the trap door, rushing over to take Grian back from Doc’s arms. Doc tries not to feel disappointed at the loss of Grian in his grasp. Instead, he pulls his sword back out, and with Mumbo and Iskall right behind him, begins the trek back to Grian’s base, desperately hoping they’ll make it back before nightfall.

***

They are roughly about halfway back to Grian’s base, the sun decidedly on the back end of noon, before Mumbo can’t hide his exhaustion anymore. A faint, almost concealed, gasp of pain makes it to Doc’s ears and he turns around.

Mumbo and Iskall are both drenched in sweat, their arms shaking with the effort of supporting Grian. Doc sheathes his sword and stops walking.

“We need to take a break. You two look like you’re on the verge of fainting,” Doc says, gesturing at the two. Doc can tell that Mumbo wants to shoot back a retort, but he cuts him off before he can.

“You’re no good to him unconscious yourself, you know,” Doc softens his expression and walks all the way over to the redstoners.

“Come on, set him down for a moment and rest yourselves, it’ll only be for a moment. You need the break.”

Mumbo and Iskall both sigh before gently and tenderly setting Grian down onto the grass. The builder’s condition doesn’t seem any better, and being out in the sunlight really accentuates the horrific state of his face and body. His eye wound is starting to turn black, and Doc is vaguely worried about the chance of infection. The builder’s skin is almost white, in the sparse areas that aren’t covered in darkening bruises. His trademark sweater is completely blood soaked, its bright red color dulled to a deep and angry maroon. Doc can feel the tears welling up in his eye the longer he looks, so he forces himself to turn away, and he sits a few steps from Grian and the redstoners.

***

Mumbo and Iskall see the tears well up in Doc’s eye, and they share a look.

_‘Comfort Doc?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Grian okay?’ ‘For moment.’ ‘Comfort Doc.’_

The two redstoners stand, walk over to Doc, and plop down on either side of the hybrid, startling the man from his most likely swirling thoughts. He looks at them both, confused.

“You know Doc. We would have never been able to get Grian out of there without you. So thank you,” Iskall says, his voice equal parts gentle and firm. Mumbo nods in agreement and gingerly sets a hand on Doc’s shoulder.

“He’s right Doc. Grian is only alive and out of that dungeon because we had your help. Thank you.”

Doc can only stare at the two men, his jaw slack.

 _“They’re… thanking me? But… I_ ,” Doc’s thoughts are cut off by Iskall also placing a hand on his other shoulder.

“Doc, I know what you are thinking. You are still blaming yourself for this situation happening at all. You need to stop. Grian is out of that place now. It is okay.”

Doc blinks rapidly in an attempt to stop the tears from escaping, but he can’t stop, nor did he want to stop, the way that the dark hold on his heart seems to ease ever so slightly at the redstoners’ words.

“We should keep going, the sooner we get him home the better.”

Iskall nods in agreement, and stands up, the other two men standing as well.

“Yes. We should try to get back before nightfall as well. Doc? You need to carry Grian now. Mumbo and I, just, can’t do it anymore. And it will be better to have two swords guarding than one.” Iskall says, pulling his own weapon out.

“You want, _me_ , to carry him?” Doc asks, shocked. Mumbo and Iskall nod, and give him an encouraging look. Doc takes a deep breath and walks back to Grian, and gently picks him up bridal style, holding the small man protectively against his chest.

“Alright, I’ve got him. Let’s go.”

***

They arrive back to Grian’s base just as the last rays of sunshine disappear over the horizon. Grian was still unconscious when they laid him down, but by the time they finish tending to his many, _many_ wounds, the builder’s breathing has deepened a bit, and a small bit of color has returned to his skin.

Mumbo, Iskall, and Doc sit next to him on the floor after they finish, helping each other tend to their own wounds. Doc hisses in pain as Mumbo helps to wrap up his flesh arm and Iskall recalibrates his robot one.

“You know Doc, if you took more time to do your software updates, you probably wouldn’t be having these little malfunctions,” Iskall muses as he finishes rewiring the man’s wrist. Expecting a scoff and a sarcastic rebuttal, Iskall is surprised at the resigned sigh he hears instead.

“I know. It just… It’s not like… Well…” The man sighs again, “Not like it matters that much, anyway.” Doc trails off, his chin resting on his chest.

“What do you mean it doesn’t matter? Of course it matters! What if something goes really wrong, and you get hurt? Would it still not matter then?” Mumbo demands, clutching Doc’s now bandaged hand in his own.

Doc looks up, surprised, before his eyes turn downcast again.

“It’s not like anyone would really care, I know that most everyone is intimidated by me anyway,” Doc responds quietly, his voice betraying the tears that want to escape his eye.

“ _What_? _”_ Iskall’s and Mumbo’s voices are incredulous as they both stare at Doc in shock.

“Well it’s true! No one really needs me, not like you two and Grian need each other. I’m just, I’m a loner, you know? And that’s fine, it’s just… it gets lonely sometimes, especially when I remember that no one really actually needs me around,” Doc continues, terrified to look up and see what he is sure would be twin disgusted expressions on the redstoner’s faces.

“Doc…no,” Iskall’s voice is soft, softer than Doc has ever heard it. Iskall shifts closer to the creeper hybrid, and takes hold of his chin. Doc’s eyes are wide in confusion, shock, and a quiet, cautious hope, as Iskall raises his head to make eye contact.

“We all need you around Doc, don’t ever think any different.” On his other side, Mumbo leans up against him, still squeezing his hand.

“I second that, Doc, ‘course we need you around.”

Doc can’t hold it in anymore, the tears spilling out from his eye, and his body is wracked with deep, guttural sobs. Mumbo and Iskall just wrap their arms around the taller man and hold on, as they make eye contact and nod in a silent agreement.

Doc’s sobs slowly start to subside, and he manages to stutter out what the problem is.

“I just- I see you three, and- and you’re so _happy_ and I- I just wanted- wanted to know what that, that _love_ felt like, and, and Grian, he- he was just so- and I don’t know what I was thinking- and I’m, _I’m so sorry_!”

Doc’s sobs begin anew, and Mumbo and Iskall can only tighten their grip on the taller man. They mutter quiet affirmations as they cling to his shaking body.

“It’s okay Doc, we’re here.”  
“We’re here Doc, it’ll be alright.”  
“Shhh Doc, we’re here, it’s okay.”

Iskall reaches out to Mumbo in his mind, and relaxes as he feels his thoughts mirrored in the other redstoner’s.

_‘Doc join us. Doc stay. Love Doc. Doc good. Doc stay.’_

Mumbo shifts slightly until he is facing Doc, and with a nod from Iskall, Mumbo reaches up and cradles Doc’s cheek in his hand. Doc is startled out of his sobs for a moment as he looks at Mumbo in surprise and slight fear.

“You know Doc, we, we would okay with it, if Grian wanted, and if you wanted, to, you know, well… join us,” At Doc’s confused expression, Mumbo tries to explain further. “You know, join us. Join our… relationship. If you want.”

Doc’s expression of shock only grows as he looks between Mumbo and Iskall, seemingly searching for any sign of dishonesty or deception. Mumbo assumes he finds none when Doc sucks in a shuddering breath, and his expression changes from pure shock to one of quiet longing.

“Would-,” Doc’s voice is thick and ragged. “Would I just be… em... _dating_ Grian, if he was to say okay, or… or would I get to, -er, _be_ dating… all of you…?” Doc’s voice trails off as he finishes his hesitant question.

Mumbo and Iskall both look at him with unfiltered fondness.

“All of us, if you’d like,” Mumbo responds softly, stroking his thumb on Doc’s cheekbone.

Doc’s breath hitches in his throat and he nods ever so slightly. Without sparing a glance at each other, Mumbo and Iskall both lean in and place a kiss on Doc’s cheeks, which pulls a broken whimper out of the man.

Doc wraps his arms around the redstoners, and finally allows himself relax into their embraces. They sit like that, huddled next to Grian’s bed desperately holding onto each other throughout the night, until all of them finally slip into fitful sleep as the first hints of dawn appear on the horizon.

* * *

It had been days, and Grian still laid unconscious and broken. Xisuma had come on the second day, after dozens of incoherent and terrified messages to assess Grian’s condition, and after poking around Grian for a few hours, he had to admit that he had no idea why Grian remained unconscious.

“I just don’t understand. The regeneration potions should have worked. I wonder if the Pillager… no they shouldn’t be able to do that. I’m… I’m sorry, guys. I really am. I. I just don’t know what’s wrong. I’ll dig through the code. We’ll get him back.” Xisuma had left with a complicated expression, he looked determined, but also seemed resigned, almost as if he wasn’t sure he’d be able to find the problem.

After Xisuma left, Iskall finally broke. He had been trying in vain to remain strong for the other two, but his emotions finally boiled over. Once his sobs began, he couldn’t get them to stop no matter what.

 _“Doc and Mumbo are here. It’s okay,”_ he reminded himself, clinging to the other two’s arms as they held him.

In the days after Xisuma’s visit, the three men, hardly separated at this point, continued to hold vigil next to Grian’s bed.

“You know Grian, it’s too quiet here without you making a ruckus. I really miss you. Please… please wake up.”

“Grian, love, please open your eyes. Please. I miss you. We all miss you so much. Grian please…please.”

“Grian. God, please. Please just wake up. I’ll… I’ll do anything. Play any prank you want, just _please_ wake up.”

* * *

It has been six days. _Six_ _days_ of waiting, and hoping, before Xisuma returns.

“I honestly have no idea what the damn issue is. The code looks fine, I couldn’t find a single thing wrong,” he explains. He had removed his helmet for the time being, and Doc can see just how upset and exhausted Xisuma is at his failure to find a solution.

“I’m sure you did all you could Xisuma. I guess, I guess we’ll just have to wait, and see,” Doc’s voice is trembling, but he tries to hold firm. Xisuma just gives him a tired smile, but then pauses.

“I… I have one more idea. It’s risky, but I think it might solve the problem. If anything, and I mean _anything_ , changes, tell me immediately. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Xisuma runs from the room, and Doc hears the tell-tale sounds of an elytra deploying. Doc shakes his head in confusion, and walks back to the bedroom they had built around Grian’s bed. Both to keep some of the chill off - _Seriously Grian, would it have been that hard to make actual rooms instead of just a massive blender?-_ and so that Grian’s state is more obscured from prying eyes. Doc sits back down next to Mumbo and Iskall, and he tells them what Xisuma had said.

“I hope whatever he tries works…” Mumbo whispers. Doc goes to nod before he notices Grian’s chest stop moving. Doc shoots out of his chair like lightning.

“Grian? GRIAN? **_GRIAN!_** Message Xisuma! Grian stopped breathing!” Mumbo whips out his communicator with shaking hands.

Xisuma only responds with ‘ ** _oh god no_**.’

The sun begins to set, the sky alight with beautiful reds and oranges; beauty seems out of place in a world without Grian.

Doc feels as if the ground has been pulled out from beneath him, and a single glance at his companions tells him that they felt the same. Doc has no idea how long they sat there in grief-filled silence.

Mumbo is the first to start singing, his eyes swollen with tears that wouldn’t fall. He traces a circle onto Grian’s, now ice cold, hand where he is holding it.

_Close your eyes, it is time  
for you to tell the world goodnight…  
It might be dark inside,  
but there are still stars shining-_

Mumbo’s voice breaks off into a sob, his breath coming out in little hitches as he bends down and rests his head against Grian’s unmoving chest. Iskall tightens his hold on Mumbo’s shoulder and Doc’s hand, and takes over.

_Close your eyes, it is time  
for you to tell the world goodnight…  
It might be dark inside,  
but there are still stars shining in the sky_

_Close your eyes, we are here  
and everything will be alright  
We are right here by your side  
as we go walking… through the night…_

Iskall’s voice is thick with the tears he doesn’t want to let out, but he can’t continue. He drops his head onto Doc’s shoulder and shakes with silent sobs. Doc pulls his hand away from Iskall’s in order to wrap his arm around him. He looks down at Mumbo, who is still sobbing, clutching Grian’s body as if he could bring him back by will power alone. Doc takes a shuddering breath in, and finishes the song.

_Close your eyes, it is time  
for you to tell the world goodnight…  
It might be dark inside,  
but there are still stars shining in the sky_

_Close your eyes, we are here  
and everything will be alright  
We are right here by your side  
as we go walking… through the night…_

Doc’s voice is small, and sad, and full of grief, but he finishes the song strong, pouring every ounce of love he has within him into it. He leans down and pulls Mumbo into his other side. Mumbo’s sobs have lessened into breathy hiccups, but he squeezes Doc’s hand, before leaning down and pressing a soft and reverent kiss to Grian’s forehead. Iskall then leans down and does the same, barely containing his sobs. Doc tightens his hold on the two redstoner’s hands before he lets go and kneels down next to Grian’s body.

“I love you Grian. _I am so sorry_ ,” He whispers, before pressing a kiss of his own to Grian’s cheek. He turns and stands back up, and without a word, takes Mumbo and Iskall’s hands into his own, and the three start their walk from the small room.

Each step feels like a mile as they move from Grian’s side for the first time since saving him. Iskall has barely laid a hand on the doorknob when a subtle and quiet, but _strong_ intake of air freezes them all to the floor.

The feeble and whispered words seem to echo throughout the room.

_“Why did you stop singing?”_  
  


* * *

* * *

* * *

Grian comes back to himself slowly, hearing the heartbroken voices of his boyfriends and Doc singing to him. It takes him a few moments to realize that they have stopped, and this confuses Grian enough that he is able to open his eyes and croak out a single sentence:

_“Why did you stop singing?”_

He watches Mumbo, Iskall, and Doc slowly turn around, almost as if they couldn’t believe their ears. Grian’s eye almost immediately fills with tears at the sight of the three men. They all look half-mad with exhaustion, the only coherent expression on their faces being pure and mind-numbing grief. Their eyes are dull and dark, like every bit of love and hope has been forcibly sucked out of them, leaving them all nothing but empty and broken shells.

Grian watches the realization flood across their faces, and they all come rushing back over, tears of relief streaming down, and the widest grins he has ever seen stretched across all of their faces.

Xisuma shows up a few moments later, his helmet noticeably skewed on his head, some of the grisly scars and sleek purple scales that cover the lower half of his face peeking out. He clearly rushed over from wherever he had been, his already messy brown hair tangled and wild from where it sticks out from the helmet. His eyes are wide with manic fear and guilt. He walks quickly to Grian’s side and drops to his knees, relief blooming across his face as he approaches, his mismatched eyes softening dramatically behind his helmet.

Xisuma tries his best to explain what he thinks happened, his voice thick, with its natural distortion coming through despite the buffer of his helmet.

“I gave you a soft reset. It was a risky move on my part, but I didn’t think it would actually, you know, _kill you_ for a moment. It was just supposed to restart your systems and give you a boost,” he continues into more specifics about the code, but on seeing the lost and confused faces of the rest of the hermits, eventually gives up with a hollow chuckle, and pats Grian’s shoulder.

“I’m just… really glad you’re alright, Grian.”

Grian gives Xisuma a tired smile that the admin returns, and for once, Xisuma’s smile reaches his eyes, Grian noticing the man’s laugh lines for the first time.

Xisuma leaves them for the night, a knowing glint in his eye, but promises to return come morning with potions that should help with Grian’s healing.

***

Grian can barely pay attention as Mumbo, Iskall, and Doc try to explain everything that had happened after he had blacked out in that dungeon. Their voices fade in and out, until he catches something that has his heart on high-alert.

“Did you say, you’re all dating now?” He croaks out, disbelief coloring his gravelly voice.

The three men’s voices all go dead silent, before Mumbo answers.

“Yes?” His voice was more timid than Grian has ever heard it. Grian blinks, before a smile breaks out on his face. He winces at the stretch of his cheeks.

“So… if you all are dating each other… does this mean I get to date—,” Doc cuts off Grian before he can finish.

“I would love to be your boyfriend, if you’ll have me, that is, Grian,” Doc says, his eyes downcast, his voice quiet. Grian just reaches out a shaking hand, and grips Doc’s wrist.

“Yes Doc. Of course I want to date you,” Grian eyes Iskall and Mumbo, who both smile. The three men all crowd up against Grian’s bed, and wrap their arms around him best they can. Grian can only laugh weakly as the three taller men all squish themselves around him. His laughter slowly fades into silence as the four of them all finally slip into the first restful slumber any of them have had in a week.

* * *

Today is finally the day that Grian gets to take his eyepatch off. The months of taking Xisuma’s specialized regeneration potions, _Home-made recipe, had to learn it the hard way,_ he had said, had finally paid off.

The months had not been easy, to say it lightly. Grian had lost count of the all the nights he had woken up screaming, just begging _please, **please**_ for the pain to stop, only to finally realize that he _wasn’t_ back in that dungeon, but was in fact, in bed with his three amazing boyfriends, safe in his base. He absolutely refuses to go into any area that has even the slightest risk of Pillagers. He will _not_ go through that again. 

Grian also noticed that anytime one of his boys started bickering with another, all it took was glance at him, and they’d go quiet and apologize almost immediately. Grian knew it was because of the various scars that littered his body. Grian knew of the many things that had happened on _that_ day, but he doesn’t bring it up, since he can see just how guilt ridden his boyfriends still are, even months after the fact.

The months hadn’t been all bad, of course, how could they be when he had the _best, sweetest, most attractive_ men in all of Hermitcraft doting on him?

But now! He finally gets to take the eyepatch off. Xisuma had warned him not to expect his regrown eye to be the same color as his original.

_“Why not?” Grian had asked a few weeks prior. He wasn’t prepared for the tight and grief-ridden smile he got in return._

_“Mine wasn’t the same color, so…” Xisuma had trailed off with a shrug, his thoughts clearly miles away. Grian didn’t ask what had happened to the admin, knowing he wouldn’t get a real answer._

Grian secretly hopes that he will get a bright blue or vivid green to go along with his normal grey-ish colored eye.

***

Grian sits impatient in the common area of his base, waiting for his boyfriends and for Xisuma to arrive. They _all_ told him he had to wait for everyone to get there before he could take off the eyepatch. A part of him is going to miss how frankly _badass_ the eyepatch makes him look, but he’s more excited to **finally** get to fly again. Only having one eye meant a sorely lacking depth perception, and that meant, in the words of Mumbo: _“Absolutely no flying, Grian, are you insane?”_

He missed it. _God he missed it_. The absolute freedom, the wind whipping through his hair, the cheers of his fellow Hermits anytime he pulled out of a dive with only moments to spare. Even just thinking about the months he has gone without being in the air still brings the stinging of tears to his eye.

The weight of how incredibly useless he is without his elytra hurt almost as much as stretching his scars the wrong way. Not only had he been banned from flying, but from building as well. He huffs at the memory of Doc panicking at his last minute jump into the ocean after a section of his build hadn’t agreed with him. He had been _fine_. One little scratch on his hand was much better than he usually faired when a build didn’t agree with him. But Doc took one look at the _drop_ of blood that had escaped, and declared: _“No building anything that you can fall from or that can fall on you!”_

A dark and angry part of himself resents the fact that all the people in his life seem perfectly fine with stripping away his biggest sense of joy. What gives them the right to police every single one of his actions?

Grian shakes his head to dispel the twisted thoughts. _They were just worried. They were scared. You know how bad they feel about it_. Sighing to himself, still trying to push the hurt and the anger back down, Grian stands and walks over to the window, straining his neck every which way, trying to find a hint that everyone was on their way. _Don’t they know how tired I am of waiting? Don’t they care?_

Grian clenches his eye shut and digs his nails into his palms. ‘ _Yes they care, they’re still coming, you need to relax’_ , he tells himself. Thankfully, his spiraling thoughts are interrupted by the distant sounds of elytras.

Grian pulls in a shuddering breath in an attempt to calm his stormy mind before his boyfriends and Xisuma see him.

Doc, Iskall, Mumbo, and Xisuma all land one after another and quickly come inside. Grian doesn’t have another moment to think before he is scooped up into the air by Doc. Doc clutches him to his chest and spins him around. Grian can’t help the giggles that bubble out of him. Doc sets Grian back on the floor, but not before pressing a kiss to his cheek. Grian happily accepts kisses from Mumbo and Iskall as well, and finally, he feels that last bit of the pit in his stomach disappear.

“So Grian, are you ready to finally take the eyepatch off?” Xisuma asks, his cocked eyebrow just barely visible beneath his helmet. Grian nods, and reaches his hand up. Xisuma grabs his wrist before he can even touch the fabric.

“Now just hold on for a second. I think you better let me do it, just in case,” Xisuma soothes. Grian frowns at him.

“In case of what?” Xisuma gently lowers Grian’s hand, and without a word, detaches his helmet. Grian can’t help his widened eyes, and a serendipitous glance at his boyfriends tells him that they are all surprised as well.

Grian gulps at the shiver that runs down his spine as Xisuma’s pale purple and green eyes lock onto him without the helmet in the way, the afternoon sun bringing out the iridescent gleam of his deep purple scales, and showing the tiniest smattering of freckles across his nose.

“Growing an eye back is nasty business Grian, trust me. Just, let me do this?” There’s a note of pleading and exhaustion in Xisuma’s voice that breaks Grian’s heart. He knows the admin feels guilty about what had happened, and he doesn’t want to add onto that pain. The builder nods, and watches as the admin’s shoulders relax ever so slightly.

“Alright. Keep your eyes closed for the moment Grian. I’ll tell you when to open them.”

Grian lets his eye- his _eyes_ fall shut at the first gentle touch of Xisuma’s hand against the side of his face. Xisuma’s hand brushes through his hair as he gingerly pulls at the elastic band, and Grian feels the accursed piece of fabric peel away from his face. Xisuma’s fingers brushes delicately around the now, hopefully healed, eye socket, and Grian can just barely feel the shake in the admin’s hands.

“Okay Grian,” Xisuma’s voice is hushed, almost like if he spoke even a touch louder, the atmosphere around them would shatter. _“Open your eyes, Grian.”_

Grian takes a deep breath, and lets his eyes slip open.

***

The room around him hasn’t even come into focus before there are four identical gasps from in front of him.

Grian blinks rapidly to dissipate the haze from his vision, and that’s when the shocked and awed expressions of his companions come into full and clear view.

 _“Grian…”_ Mumbo’s voice is breathless and full of reverence, and when Grian looks over at him, his expression is wide and amazed.

Xisuma is the only one who didn’t look amazed by whatever his eye had turned into. No, no Xisuma’s jaw is clenched and there is a tinge of anger in his eyes.

“So… what- what does it look like?” Grian asks, unable to mask the tremble in his voice. No one said a word; Xisuma merely hands him a small mirror. Grian lifts it to his face, and a gasp of his own flies from his lips.

_His eye. His eye! His eye was- !_

Grian stares in awe at his reflection. His normal eye looks the same; that light grey-blue that he was used to, that Doc says was the color of a summer day with rain on the horizon. His _new_ eye however…

It’s a deep and rich gold, like the ichor of long forgotten gods and goddesses, with a shimmer of an intense violet color that he only associated with one place. The End. Grian tears his gaze from the mirror and pins it on Xisuma. Xisuma has the decency to look guilty.

“I’m sorry Grian. Void Magic was the only thing what was going to save you. I had no choice. This was the only way,” The natural distortion in Xisuma’s voice grows deeper, the inflections of his accent taking on much more of their End origin. Grian lets his gaze go soft.

“I know, Xisuma. I’m not upset. I’m just shocked that you used Void Knowledge to heal me, that’s all. Thank you, truly.” All of the tension in Xisuma’s body seemed to flood away and the admin sinks to the ground. Mumbo and Iskall rush to the admin’s side, and help him stand back up.

“Suma, ‘r you alright, mate?” Mumbo throws a concerned look over to Iskall who returns it. Xisuma groans and nods.

“Yes, yeah I’m okay. It’s just,” He cuts himself off and sighs. “I’m sorry. I had to use some of my own magic to make those potions work for a non-void being, and the exhaustion finally just hit me.” Xisuma gives Mumbo and Iskall a weak smile.

“Can, can someone get my helmet, please?” The admin’s voice is getting weaker, the normal speech barely understandable under the distortion. Doc’s real eye goes wide and he rushes over to help put it back on Xisuma’s head. Grian wants to help, but the sight of the admin falling to the ground and the realization that ‘ _X used his **own** magic to heal me’_ had him rooted to the floor.

The moment that Xisuma’s helmet has clicked back into place, he takes a deep and shuddering breath in. It’s only when Xisuma’s breathing evens back out, and he straightens up on his own, does the fear encasing Grian’s heart release, and one look at his boyfriends tell him they all felt the same way.

“I’m sorry for the trouble, I-," Xisuma’s unwarranted apology is cut off by a surprisingly angry Iskall.

“No. Do not apologize. You saved Grian’s life. Thank you. The least we can do is help you until you are feeling better, yes?” Mumbo nods along as Iskall spoke, and by the end Grian finds himself nodding as well. Xisuma doesn’t look convinced. Doc sends the admin a soft look, one that Grian has only seen directed at himself, Mumbo, and Iskall.

“X, please. Either stay here for the rest of the night and rest, or at _least_ let us bring you back to your base. You matter to us. Not just because you’re Admin. You’re our friend. _We care about you too."_

Grian watches as Xisuma’s eyes flicker back and forth between all of them, searching for what, Grian doesn’t know. The admin finally sighs.

“Alright. I’ll stay for the night.”

With that decided, Mumbo and Iskall help Xisuma over to their massive bed, while Doc walks back over to Grian’s side. Grian leans into the hand that Doc rests against his cheek.

“Come on, Grian, I think we’ve all had enough excitement for the day,” Doc lowers his hand to grab onto Grian’s and tugs the builder over to the bed. It took some rearranging, but soon they are all cuddled up to each other under the covers. Grian ends up tucked into the middle between Doc and Xisuma, who have their heads pressed together. Iskall is curled up against Doc’s other side, while Mumbo is pressed up against Xisuma’s other side. Just as Grian gives into sleep, he hears a content sigh slip from Xisuma, and Grian lets sleep overtake him, smiling.

***

The next morning, Xisuma leaves smiling, but Grian recognizes the longing and sadness in his eyes. He has barely opened his mouth before Iskall and Mumbo cut him off.

“So… Xisuma?” They both have shy smiles on their faces as they speak.

Doc’s face breaks out into a grin.

“Do you think he’ll agree?”

Grian shrugs, already imagining all the different ways they can try to convince Xisuma to join them.

“Only one way to find out, isn’t there?”

* * *

Grian wakes up slowly and gradually, the perfect way to wake up in his opinion. His hearing comes in slowly as the last dredges of his, thankfully peaceful, dream slip away, and he can hear the three distinct breathing patterns of all of his lovely boyfriends that are there. Doc’s deep and low, Iskall’s adorable little sniffles every other breath, and Mumbo’s gentle, high-pitched snores. The only one missing is the slightly robotic snores of X through his helmet.

His sense of touch comes next, and he feels a small smile slide onto his face when he realizes that he was basically lying on top of Doc, with Mumbo and Iskall wrapped around Doc and himself on either side, clutching each other’s hands on Grian’s stomach. Grian slowly pulls one of his arms free of Doc and Iskall’s grip, runs his finger down the tattoos on Mumbo’s arm, then lays his hand atop Mumbo and Iskall’s, before pressing back into Doc’s firm and warm chest.

“Hmmm,” Doc shifts slightly, “Why are you awake Grian?” He mumbles, his voice impossibly deeper with sleep, and Grian can’t stop his heart from skipping a beat.

“Just thinking, I suppose. Missing X.” Doc hums in response.

“Yes, well, he should be back later today or tomorrow. You know how hard travelling to the mainland is,” Doc murmurs. Grian nods, and clutches Mumbo and Iskall’s hands a little tighter. 

Grian tilts his head back to look at Doc, the creeper hybrid’s face a mix of contemplation and love. Doc slowly sits up, which pulls identical sounds of irritation from the two redstoners, who both crack an eye open to sleepily glare up at their boyfriends.

“Stop moving, m’sleepin,” Mumbo grumbles, nestling further into Doc’s side. Doc just runs his hand through Mumbo’s sleep-tousled hair, coaxing a happy sigh out of the man. On Doc’s other side, Iskall slowly sits up, rubbing at his eye. He scooches up the bed a bit, and throws his arms around Doc’s neck, tucking his head into Doc’s shoulder.

“G’mornin,” Iskall mutters, his voice so thick with sleep that Grian can hardly understand him. Grian sits all the way up, his shifting weight pushing a surprised noise from Doc’s throat. Grian just smirks to himself, before stretching his arms above his head, letting a pleased groan drip from his mouth as his back cracks. He turns and giggles at the three identical love-struck expressions staring back at him from his now very much awake and alert boyfriends.

He turns over, straddling Doc’s hips, and shoots Doc a wink as he lays back down onto his chest, propping his head on his arms. Doc’s eyes go wide and a high-pitched whine spills out before he can stop it. Grian can see Mumbo gulping out of the corner of his eye, and just laughs more.

“Gosh, you three are just completely useless in the mornings, you’re almost as bad as X,” Grian says, a cheeky grin over taking his face, before he breaks down into giggles.

Doc, Mumbo, and Iskall all melt at the sight of their smallest boyfriend giggling, the morning sun behind him turning his hair into gold and lighting a halo around him.

Grian’s eyes soften as he watches his boyfriends, before leaning forward and catching Doc’s lips in a caste kiss. He shifts over, plants one on Iskall, then lastly on Mumbo, scrunching his nose at the tickle of the man’s mustache.

“Pardon? Why was I last?” Mumbo asks, the tug on his lip betraying his fake outrage. Grian winks at him.

“I saved the best for last, of course! And since X isn’t back yet…”

The smug look that immediately appears on Mumbo’s face, before he gasps in indignation, coupled with the identical looks of betrayal on Iskall’s and Doc’s faces sends Grian straight back into a giggling fit.

“Oh you think you’re funny, do you?” Doc growls, his eyes twinkling with mirth. Grian just beams at him.

“I don’t think, _I know_ ,” Grian answers. Doc responds by grabbing Grian beneath his arms, sitting up and spinning around, and pinning the builder to the bed. Mumbo and Iskall both also sit up, smirking down at their boyfriend.

“What do you think, fellas?” Doc asks, glancing at the two redstoners, trying in vain to keep his smile contained.

Mumbo and Iskall make eye contact and share a salacious grin that Grian gulps at.

“We think… Grian needs a taste of his own medicine,” They respond in sync.

Grian’s eyes widen as he realizes what this is going to mean for him.

“No, no, no, that’s not necessary—!” Grian is cut off as Mumbo and Iskall attack his sides with flittering fingers, and he can’t contain the manic laughter that bursts out from him.

“No!!! St-stop!!” He cries out, his voice rich in happiness.

Doc just shakes his head.

“No, I think you’ve had this coming for a long time Grian,” Doc says, sending the builder a dark and wicked grin of his own.

“I think you’ve had this coming for a _long time_.”

**Author's Note:**

> Oh wow look at that, another fic and it's almost 5 times longer than any other fic I've ever written haha whoops.  
> I hope you enjoyed, Kudos, Comments, etc. are always appreciated, and they fuel me to write more.


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